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  5. December

Winter Gardening Chores: December

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Juniperus; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/ Julie A Brown
Juniperus; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/ Julie A Brown

Planning:

  • Use garden notes, photos and sketches to assess areas that need plants
  • Determine types and quantities of plants to order
  • Begin to order plants from seed and nursery catalogues

Chores and Maintenance:

  • After ground freezes, mulch perennials and bulb planting beds. The mulch will prevent heaving during the alternating freeze/ thaw cycle
  • Tie and support evergreen shrubs to avoid breakage from snow
  • Continue to provide burlap windbreaks for boxwood and broad-leaved evergreens until the ground freezes
  • Complete protection of trees from mouse damage with wire, mesh, trunk guards
  • Continue protection of shrubs from deer with burlap or netting
  • Avoid the use of salt to melt snow as it is toxic to most plants; use sawdust, sand or cat litter
  • Keep bird feeders filled throughout the winter
After the ground freezes, mulch bulb planting beds; photo by Kay Wheeler
After the ground freezes, mulch bulb planting beds; photo by Kay Wheeler

Pruning/ Fertilizing:

  • Prune evergreen branches to use in holiday decorating
  • Continue to rejuvenate overgrown shrubs as weather permits, until new growth begins in spring
Give houseplants as much light as possible; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/ Phillip Stewart
Give houseplants as much light as possible; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/ Phillip Stewart

Indoors:

  • Keep newly purchased Christmas trees in a bucket of water in a cool place
  • Set up Christmas tree in a reservoir stand. Cut on a slant about 1" above existing cut for optimum water absorption
  • Be sure to keep reservoir filled and place Christmas tree in coolest part of the room
  • Sterilize the tree stand with a solution of boiling water, vinegar and household bleach after use
  • When buying houseplants in winter, be sure to wrap them up well for the trip home; this prevents the foliage from freezing and protects tropicals from drafts
  • Give houseplants as much light as possible as days grow shorter
  • Hold off on fertilizing indoor plants until spring
  • Provide houseplants with increased humidity; mist often or place the houseplant over a tray of moist pebbles
  • Continue to plant prepared bulbs for indoor forcing
  • As houseplants grow more slowly in winter, increase the time between waterings but do not cut back on the amount of water
  • On frigid nights, protect indoor plants from freezing; move them away from the glass or cover glass with thick newspaper or cardboard
  • Clean leaves of large and smooth-leaved houseplants like dracaena, philodendron, ficus etc.
Clean leaves of philodendrons; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/ N.C. Cooperative Extension
Clean leaves of philodendrons; photo courtesy of Flickr cc/ North Carolina Cooperative Extension

*These gardening tips are applicable for an average year in the southeastern New York region: USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6a and 6b, which include New York City, Northern New Jersey, Rockland County, Westchester County, Southern Connecticut, and parts of Long Island. Plant hardiness zones refer to geographic areas where the growing season of plants is determined by the time of killing frosts in the spring and fall. Even within zones, climatic factors such as altitude, proximity to water, wind exposure, winter sun exposure and snow cover contribute to the existence of different "microclimates" and can influence plant adaptability.

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    Guides from the Plant Information Office related to specific NYBG gardens, including their history, design, and current plantings.

Gardening Chores for Other Seasons

  • Fall Gardening Chores
  • Spring Gardening Chores
  • Summer Gardening Chores

Related Guides

  • Battling Jack Frost: Preventing Winter Injury
  • Care of Holiday Evergreens and Boughs
  • Care of Holiday Gift Plants
  • Conifers: Planting and Maintenance
  • FAQs for Winter Gardening
  • Holiday Greens and Decorations
  • Houseplant Basics
  • Houseplants: Tips and Troubleshooting
  • Pruning Schedule for Shrubs: In the Nick of Time
  • Trees and Shrubs with Seasonal Interest
  • Tropical Houseplants
  • Winter Preparation for Roses

Noteworthy Books on Garden Maintenance and Seasonal Chores

  • Book Cover50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants by Tracy DiSabato-Aust
    Call Number: SB404.9 .D57 2009
    ISBN: 9780881929508
    Publication Date: 2009-01-07
  • Book CoverA Northeast Gardener's Year by Lee Reich
    Call Number: SB453.2.N92 R45 1992
    ISBN: 0201550504
    Publication Date: 1991-08-14
  • Book CoverThe 20-Minute Gardener by T. Christopher; Marty Asher
    Call Number: SB453 .C42 1997
    ISBN: 0679448144
    Publication Date: 1997-01-28
  • The New Low-Maintenance Garden by Valerie Easton; Jacqueline M. Koch (Photographer)
    Call Number: SB473 .E235 2009
    ISBN: 1604691662
    Publication Date: 2009-11-01
  • Book CoverThe Organic Lawn Care Manual by Paul Tukey; Nell Newman (Foreword by)
    Call Number: SB433 .T74 2007
    ISBN: 9781580176552
    Publication Date: 2007-01-30

Useful Website

  • Missouri Botanical Garden
    Frost Heaving
  • Next: January >>
  • Last Updated: Dec 4, 2020 10:58 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.nybg.org/winterchores
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Subjects: Seasonal